Historical Markers
A group of people working in a factory - industrial history sites

Self-guided · County in Tennessee

Industrial History Sites in Smith County, TN

Mills, factories, foundries and warehouses that put the area to work, many converted, some still running.

Photo: Museums Victoria on Unsplash

Smith County is one of 95 counties in Tennessee. The record for this chapter of history is uneven, and some of it is hard to read. That is a reason to go and see it, not a reason to skip it.

On the record near Smith County, TN

The 12 nearest

13 listed sites on the record match industrial history sites within 60 miles of Smith County, TN, out of 47 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 8 listed sites carry Smith County as their county.

  1. Williamson and Adams Carriage Factory28 miles from the center of Smith County · Building · Gallatin · listed 1987National Register of Historic Places
  2. Great Falls Cotton Mill36 miles from the center of Smith County · Building · Rock Island · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
  3. Municipal Public Works Garage Industrial District45 miles from the center of Smith County · District · Nashville · listed 2010National Register of Historic Places
  4. Marathon Motor Works46 miles from the center of Smith County · Building · Nashville · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
  5. Farrar Distillery47 miles from the center of Smith County · Site · Noah · listed 1984National Register of Historic Places
  6. Nelson's Greenbrier Distillery48 miles from the center of Smith County · Building · Greenbrier · listed 2008National Register of Historic Places
  7. Pitt, Arthur, House and Distillery52 miles from the center of Smith County · Building · Springfield · listed 1973National Register of Historic Places
  8. Gullian Gerig's Mill54 miles from the center of Smith County · Building · Glasgow · listed 1987National Register of Historic Places
  9. Heating Plant58 miles from the center of Smith County · Building · Bowling Green · listed 1979National Register of Historic Places
  10. Newsom's Mill58 miles from the center of Smith County · Structure · Nashville · listed 1976National Register of Historic Places
  11. Cascade Distillery Site59 miles from the center of Smith County · Site · Normandy · listed 1994National Register of Historic Places
  12. Fly Manufacturing Company Building59 miles from the center of Smith County · Building · Shelbyville · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Smith County, TN. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Industrial History in Smith County, step by step

  1. 1

    Read the short history of the period for this area

  2. 2

    Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter

  3. 3

    Visit the nearest site and read its full record

  4. 4

    Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest

  5. 5

    Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Smith County, TN ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Smith County, TN?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Smith County, TN?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Smith County

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Smith County, TN the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Smith County, TN are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

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Industrial History near Smith County

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